AEW released Ricky Starks and Miro after lengthy TV absences, setting the stage for WWE to add the two stars to their loaded roster.

Ricky Starks has officially joined the NXT roster, and his new name has been revealed. Starks made a surprise appearance on the February 11th episode of WWE NXT, and he came to the ring to sign his contract the following week.

Shortly after it was revealed that multiple AEW wrestlers were leaving the company, Ricky Starks made his shocking debut on WWE NXT entering through the crowd.

When former AEW wrestler Ricky Starks made his unexpected WWE debut Tuesday, the wrestling world immediately began to buzz about his potential impact. WWE legen

Ricky Saints (Ricky Starks in AEW) left AEW on February 10th when he was removed from the AEW roster page, becoming a free agent. One night later, Ricky appeared on NXT television. Ricky had been off AEW television since March 2024, but had been making independent appearances at the end of the year.

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WWE has filed a new trademark for former AEW star Ricky Starks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

In an interview conducted after he signed his contract on the Feb. 18 NXT, the wrestler now known as Ricky Saints explained how he’s thinking about his name change, and shared what he believes led to the end of his time at Tony Khan’s company.

After officially signing his WWE NXT contract on Tuesday night, Ricky Saints discussed his new ring name. The former Ricky Starks appeared Tuesday night on Busted Open Radio (h/t F4WOnline.com's Bryan Rose),

You can make the case Starks — renamed Ricky Saints in NXT — is the first AEW talent WWE has brought in that AEW fans were wanting to see more of, someone who had not come close to hitting their ceiling.